Jeju Council 2020

Jeju  Council  2020

May 18 - 19 Korea time   May 17 - 18  NA time

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At the Threshold of a Transforming Period for Humanity

When we initiated the development of Jeju Council 2020 last year, we emphasized that we live in a time when the energies of a spiritual whirlwind are gathering momentum, drawing human beings toward a critical juncture, and that the old ways of functioning cannot continue very much longer. Since last January, our sense of urgency has been confirmed and experienced by everyone in the world, coming much faster than many of us might have expected, and we naturally accept this situation in sensible and matter of fact ways. However, the whole world is addressing the unexpected and challenging situation brought by the Corvid 19 pandemic, and it leaves many people bewildered about how to handle the situation personally. Everyday life no longer moves along as usual—social distancing changes all our conventional routines, and economic shock and social transformation are inescapable. The world is not the same as it was just four months ago. In light of this immediate, world-wide transformation, what would be the purpose, the meaning, and the role of Jeju Council 2020 in the midst of this situation? 

A few months ago we suggested that humanity seems to be approaching the edge of a cliff, a point of no return, where we have two options: either take flight or fall off a cliff. We emphasized a choice: whether we will move together in a whirlwind of ascension, or choose a downward spiral? Human beings are now facing the fact that we cannot go on, existing within the old paradigm. New options are available in this situation, and we see the likelihood of even greater challenges and changes in days to come? Creative opportunities are hidden within all crises that arise—so, we will explore how the current crisis provides an opportunity for human beings to let go of the old and move in new creative and innovative ways?

From the still point at the heart of Being the invitation is extended—even in this critical moment—and we may share a heightened awareness that it is now or never. So, let us come together in one spirit, with one heart and one mind, as one body of people gathered in the calm center. There is a great need for the development of a mature vibrational body, and a space of love and safety, contained and sustained by people who gather in a communion of friendship, in humility, free from self-centered ego attachments—learning from each other and extending the spirits of love and light and forgiveness into the troubled dreamtime of sleeping humanity. Who will be drawn into the eye of the whirlwind, to help initiate new ways of living, letting spiritual wings open wide and soar high in the rising currents, listening together, and letting Spirit speak at this critical juncture?

Jeju Council—the I that is We—is drawn into formation to creatively engage this current challenging situation, with the awareness that even greater transformations lie ahead of us. Since we cannot gather in person we will come together in cyber space, drawing those are moving together in the rising currents of a spiritual whirlwind, to address many questions and explore what it means to provide some of the answers, and be the answers in daily living.

Jeju Council 2020 will draw together about 25 spiritual leaders from around the world. We will gather on-line, using Skype and Zoom and other teleconference technologies, to share two days together, in order to:

— deepen friendship among spiritual leaders, and those who are close with them; learning to function and create together in a new cycle of opportunity that now opens for humanity, preparing the way for a transformed future;

— share transformed and illumined consciousness, letting divine wisdom be revealed through deep listening, attunement, prayer, meditation, and open-hearted dialogue, communing-with and learning-from each other;

— have one day open sessions with public;

— document our collective wisdom, creating an electronic and hard-copy library that reveals our consciousness of One World, One Heart, One Mind, One Humanity—shared in the form of transcribed words, audio and video materials, and other formats;

— consider Jeju Council as an annual event, bringing together a balanced spectrum of world spiritual leaders, in person when world circumstances allow us to travel and be together directly, and on-line through teleconferencing whenever necessary.

Jae Hyoung Lee  and  Duk Hee Kang

Jeju Island, South Korea

The Privilege of Serving the Lord of Love

The  Privilege  of  Serving  the  Lord  of  Love

from  The Love That God Is

Uranda   October 1, 1951  100 Mile House, BC

There is the opportunity, from the standpoint of God, of sharing the ever-newness which provides the never-ending thrill of eternity. The human mind tends to make things grow old on the basis of old translations, the old patterns, and they become distorted and outdated, and they do not fit the immediate circumstances. They are not adequate to the present state of development and progress. So we let them go, release them, and we remember that in each evolving moment of eternity the spirit of God's expression contains within itself the patterns for its own fulfilments for this moment. And if we see these patterns with fresh vision, not contaminated by the old, we can begin to know what it means to live in eternity here and now. The future here depends upon us. To the degree that you can meet each moment in newness instead of in some old pattern, which because of the unfolding expression of life moment by moment causes every moment to be jammed in the old pattern, you will be adequate to that which God would reveal in life here and now. Here is the key to living in eternity. We must face the fact that until our minds are trained to let this process take place we cannot truly let the spirit find expression through our words. We cannot allow the new visions of truth to take form in the realm of thought until the mind is conditioned to this process. If you let your minds relax, let the past be past, let the future rest in the hands of God, let this moment, untarnished, free of all human patterns and forms and thoughts and translations, reveal what it will in the current of the spirit of God, we can turn to that subject which is old in the sense that it is eternal in the past and it will be eternal in the future, but in each unfolding moment it will be eternally new.

Let us meditate tonight on love—God's love, or the love that God is; for God is love. We recognize that this is essential, because it is only by reason of love that we can maintain the correct polarity in harmony with the One Law. We recognize that truth can shape and mold our lives according to the patterns of eternal beauty only as love holds us centered while the operation is performed. Truth contains the patterns, it contains the elements necessary to shaping and molding and bringing forth that which is God's will, in God's design. But that operation is impossible except as the individual is held in position while it takes place. Only as we let love be the controlling factor, the means by which we center, can we be held securely in position while the changes take place. The moment the patterns of truth begin to reshape life, the individual who is not centered, truly, starts to hedge. He moves this way and that way; he sets up barriers against the truth; he tends to make reservations within himself. And he says, in fact, “Lord, you can make this beautiful over there, and I would be so happy if you would just correct that ugly thing over here, and correct this in someone over there. That would be lovely, Lord, but let me alone.” Until we are bound by the cords of love, in absolute slavery, we cannot be held steady long enough for the patterns of truth to be meaningful as God seeks to make all things new in us.

We have for a long time found great joy in the idea of freedom. We belong to free nations, where people are free to worship God, where they are free to speak and to do. Lands of freedom! And we thank God for the freedom we have enjoyed and the freedom we enjoy now. But this freedom can become the barrier between us and the heaven that is at hand—the human concept of freedom which resists the process by which we become the servants of God. We must become servants in the absolute sense before we can become friends. Until the former things have passed away and all things have been made new in us, we cannot be accepted as sons and daughters of God in the absolute sense—because we would be attempting to take distortions and limitations and ugliness into the kingdom. We would be trying to inject into the kingdom on earth those things that have made hell in the world that man now knows.

How can this change work out? In one way only. Regardless of human whims and fancies, desires or concepts, there is only one way: only when we have responded so in love to God that we let the cords of love draw us near and bind us so that we may be servants. In such a state we do not say, “Lord, I will be a servant for two or three weeks, with the understanding that at the end of that time I will be a son or a daughter with the full privileges of heaven.” Is that being a servant in a true sense? No. We cannot bargain with God with respect to servitude. It has to be so real with us that we do not care if it will last for eternity. To be a servant itself is enough. And we find it is in that servitude that we find our freedom. Why? What is it that makes it possible for me to have certain freedom in the divine sense, from the standpoint of that leadership that is offered to you, assisting you, directing you, working out the problems along the way? From any outer standpoint I have to answer to no one on the face of the earth. You say this is freedom. Yes, freedom. But why do I have that freedom? For one reason only: because there is a point where I am not interested in freedom; because there is One to whom I give my absolute, unwavering devotion; because there is one point where my greatest satisfaction is in being a servant, a servant who has no thought of questioning his Lord's command, who never thinks of offering excuses, whose one desire, one purpose in life, is to obey. It is because of that fact—and I speak to you from an inner standpoint on this.

There has been the idea, the concept, that all God Beings are equal. Yes and no. Principally no, because the structure of the body of God, made up of God Beings, is on the basis of absolute laws and principles that are never violated under any circumstance, something that is absolutely dependable in structure, never a break or wavering under any circumstance. And what is position? Human minds are inclined to think that position is so important. There is only one position that is important to you, and your outer mind does not need to know even what that is, the one position that you have from the inner standpoint of the body of God. When the outer part of your body and mind conforms with that, you have the ultimate satisfaction, the absolute joy and peace. There is no cause to aspire, according to human concepts of ambition, to something else, because that is where you fit in the divine scheme of things. Now whatever that place or part may be, the same is true of all God Beings, because in their places all are equally happy, all are equally satisfied, all are equally filled, according to their capacities, with the glory of God. There may not be equal capacities, but is equalness of capacity such an important thing? A washtub will hold much more than a teacup, but must we all be washtubs? I have seen some beautiful teacups. The Pacific Ocean has a tremendous capacity, but who wants to be the Pacific Ocean? There are so many things that the human mind by its wrong interpretations discolors, distorts, until the truth doesn't get through; because the mind wants to get everything pigeonholed, indexed. Yes, the mind hears this—“That's how I heard it; let's stick it here.” I have had people come to my services or lectures and at the end they would say, “Yes, this is just like I heard so-and-so say it.” It wasn't. They had simply translated everything I said into their old concept and had not learned a single thing. A number of years ago, maybe seventeen years or so, anyway a lady came to three or four of my lectures. It was a little group of ladies, and they had a leader, a spokesman. They came to three or four lectures and then they decided to go somewhere else. And this spokesman of the group was heard to say, “We know now everything he has to offer. We have heard everything and we are going over there now.” Well you know how foolish she was, but she didn't know. Those extremes illustrate the point.

We reach the point of being a slave, and love that slavery; we would not exchange it for anything else in heaven or earth! I am not interested in exchanging my position in relationship to this little world for some supposedly higher position in the universe or cosmos somewhere. There are all kinds of positions that are higher, up and down, and greater and more far-reaching. Is it because I have no ambition, no desire for any of those positions?—and I speak from an inner standpoint, not from the human form. No desire whatever. I am not interested in changing my position. Why? Because from the standpoint of the God Being, I am perfectly content to be the slave of my Lord and King, His servant.

In the outworking of the cycles of time as they have appeared in the past, the faithfulness of that servitude has been emphasized over and over again. And as a result, I know what it is for Him to call me friend. In the world if someone is a slave to some domineering human being, the result is supposedly degradation. One is walked upon, one's rights and privileges are destroyed, etc. Because of that, human beings have translated all ideas of servitude to God into the old human patterns, and they have assumed that God would treat a slave the same as a human degenerate would treat a slave, and they have rebelled against the idea of becoming a slave to God. Is it not rather blasphemous and sacrilegious to say that God would be governed by the same lack of ethics as degenerate human beings? And yet, when you stop to think of it, even tonight, could one of you say you did not have at least one little twinge of response to the idea of becoming a slave, a servant, in the absolute sense? Giving up freedom? It is the only way to reach the point where you know what freedom is. When my Lord and Master bids me go and do something, He gives me a command. Do you think He should stop to tell me every little detail of what I should say, or what I should do, or what I should think? And do you think I should go running to Him, asking how to do this and that? “Do that.” That is all there is to it. From there on it is my responsibility, and I do not have to go to Him, asking Him to solve anything. As far as my responsibility is concerned, it is my decision. He asked me to obtain a certain result. True, there is a plan, a blueprint, that was included in the instruction. But in the scope of that pattern I have absolute freedom. Various people have tried to challenge that freedom, but I have absolute freedom to do it this way or that way, according to my best judgment, and I have to answer to no man.

I am talking about this as I am, to help you to understand your own opportunities; and perhaps it will help you to understand me a little better too, and help you to understand God's principles and laws, and the outworking of His will. So, having that commission—the general pattern, blueprint, yes—but that which evolves when the work is done is mine. I have received the whole from my Lord and King, with the ultimate purpose of turning the whole back to Him. But in the interval, while it is in my commission, it is all mine in the absolute sense. “For he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you”; in other words, that which is, is within the scope of that commission which is mine. He knows it is His, and He will receive it back in season, after certain things have been accomplished. Meanwhile it is mine. When it is done it will be mine to give to Him. It will be my creation, but it will not be mine in the sense of one individual or something. That which provides the focus has to take the lead, but actually, in that it is mine it is ours, to the degree you will receive and share in the responsibility and accomplishment, the share of privileges, the privilege of sharing in God's creative work here on earth. It is ours. You could not, by any means whatever, obtain a share in that except through me. No one on the face of the earth can give it to you. But you can have a share of it, and so can anyone else on the face of the earth who is willing to do so. Because it is mine it is available to all. So we can build something wonderful and beautiful and glorious, and in season present it to our Lord and King. But in the interval, if I seem to be dictatorial or something of that nature, as according to the human mind I seem to be, in the final analysis it is my responsibility. I cannot say, “He or she wanted to change the plan a little, and so, Lord, I thought it would be all right.” Oh no, not me. It is not that I am dictatorial; there is a purpose, and it has to conform to certain laws and principles, regardless. There is a pattern; there are laws that cannot be safely violated.

What is it that is going to hold us centered while this takes place, while the patterns of truth are allowed to appear in the realm of form? There is one thing only—love. Together we serve the Lord of Love. There are no words by which the privilege can be adequately described. Why do you think there is that written in the Book here, that there was a certain disciple who was spoken of as the one whom Jesus loved? Why did Jesus love him? Favoritism? Oh no, no! Do not ever accuse my Lord and King of favoritism, at least not when I am around. No, because he loved our Lord and King with absolute devotion that did not consider anything else. He had no other purpose than to fulfil that devotion.

The Lord of Love. When we pause to consider it we can recognize that whatever there is in the world of man, even as it now is—to say nothing of heaven, heaven here on earth, heaven that is at hand—whatever there is on earth that has any meaning or value, that meaning or value comes from love. You can take the grandest castles or mansions that have ever been built on earth, remove all traces of love from them and from those who live in those halls, and what do you have? Something beautiful? No. What is it that makes a mansion out of the most humble cottage on earth? It is love. For what purpose does a man or woman work? If there is no love, no one who cares, who trusts—because there cannot be care or trust without love—what does it avail? Name me one thing in life worthwhile that is in the world, even as the world knows it, without love. You cannot do it. Not one thing. The meaningfulness of whatever we do anywhere, under any circumstance, depends upon love. It is first and foremost and in all things absolute. And we have the privilege of serving the Lord of Love. What is it that distinguishes heaven from the world that man knows? What is it that provides the atmosphere of heaven that makes it heaven? Love. Take love out of the most glorious place God ever made, the most wonderful setting that God ever made, and it becomes meaningless, valueless, until love returns. And we have the privilege of serving the Lord of Love!

When we begin to realize what a glorious privilege that is, we do not find it difficult to love Him. Who ever thought it was something hard to do, to try loving the Lord of Love? Isn't that a rather foolish idea, “trying” to love the Lord of Love? If one is alive and awake to the realities of life and love, how could one help but love Him? How can you keep from loving Him? That is the question. We do not have to try to do it. I don't know how a human being could keep from loving Him! And any idea otherwise is so foolish, so idiotic, that it is not even rational. It is insensible. It shows such an immaturity of concept it cannot even be given consideration. We have the privilege of serving the Lord of Love and loving Him with body, mind, heart and soul, loving Him with all that we are all the time, loving Him with such uttermost devotion that we don't care whether we are called slaves or servants or anything else. Of course, there is a special thrill when He calls us friend, but we know that thrill is so wonderful that we would not care if it would take ten thousand times ten thousand years in eternity waiting for the day when He would call us friend! It would still be worthwhile. Until we have shown ourselves to be servants, slaves if you please, how can we be trusted as friends? If we allowed the human concept of friend to enter in here we would say, "Well if I am His friend I have a right to change this around; I can change this around to suit myself. I don't have to pay attention, I can ignore this. I am His friend and I can fix it this way. I am His friend and I can do it this way to please myself." There the old translation would be revealing itself, the human idea of what it means to be a friend.

What is a friend of a great King? Would we find any joy or satisfaction in trying to suit ourselves? trying in our own minds, or the minds of others, to be equal with Him? I have no desire to be equal with Him—not the slightest desire. He is my King. What good would that do me or anyone else? I have no interest in any such thing. Equal with Him? What would that mean? It doesn't mean anything. He is my King, my Lord, my Master. To try to set myself up with Him, that would destroy everything that is worthwhile to me. It would destroy my relationship to Him whom I love. It would destroy my position in the cosmos. It would destroy my opportunity of being of any service to you. I would have nothing.

What is a friend of the King, a true King, a King such as ours, the Lord of Love? A friend. A friend is one who is true to his King, faithful. He never does the things that betray. He is not guilty of betraying the trust to the traitor. Traitors, especially in times of war, traitors in the outer sense, are generally shot. When we are traitors in the outer, worldly sense in relationship to the things of heaven, to our King, when human beings are, are they shot? No. Sometimes they destroy themselves if they go far enough, but the Lord of Love is always ready to forgive. If the individual has not destroyed himself and turns and asks forgiveness, he will have it. That is the kind of a King we have. But it is not safe to be a traitor. It does not bring satisfaction. It does not help to build anything, whether it be a little betrayal or a big one.

We have the privilege of serving the Lord of Love. What is love? As we pointed out in one of our earlier considerations, it can be defined as that something which provides a sense of oneness-with. It is the cohesive element in God. It is the cohesive element that holds the body of God together, that makes God dependable and eternal. And God has said: “If you will share this love, this cohesiveness, I will receive you unto Myself, that you may be a part of the body of God.” And human beings take the attitude, “Who does God think He is, to demand I should love Him?” Are we going to give something to God that He cannot have on any other basis? No, these commands are established so that God can share something with you. The Lord of Love says: “Follow Me. Follow Me and you can be the branches of the vine, members of the body of God on earth, through whom the works can be done, through whom My love can show forth to all who will receive.”

That something that provides the solidity, the unity, the oneness of the body of God, is offered by the Lord of Love to all human beings. And if they have love enough in the heart to respond, so that they can receive that love which is offered by God, they will be drawn into that oneness, they will be drawn to that point where they will be held secure, so that whatever it is that is wrong can be caused to slough away and that which is right be caused to appear. “Behold, I make all things new in and through and for those that have become centered in Me, who have become slaves to the Lord of Love. Until you are centered in Me you cannot hold still and steady long enough for truth to make any impression on you.” That is what the Lord says. You will be wavering this way and that way, bobbing all over the place, because you have no anchor, nothing to establish you, until you love. And when you love God more than anything else, more than anyone else, more than yourself, more than any relative or friend, then you have centering, then you can no longer be pulled and pushed this way and that way. You are held in position while the patterns of truth can work and take form in you and give you the opportunity to live. And then you find a strange and curious thing. You had thought that if you loved God more than a friend or relative, you thought that if you were not true to that friend or relative, that somehow you would be untrue to that love. Untrue? Then you can be of service and value, you can be meaningful. But if you allow yourself to be pushed around by what you think is love out here, then the things you do are not meaningful; it prevents you from finding your true centering in God, and all your efforts become meaningless. It is not that God would deny you the pleasure of companionship of the loved ones. God is not denying us the choice of love. He is offering us the privilege of knowing the joys of love and life still more, of knowing such companionship that we have never dreamed possible, of doing such things for the loved ones that could not be done in human strength.

When we become slaves bound with the irresistible cords of love, centered to a point, a foundation, there is no moving this way and that, no turning aside. We are God-centered. The old things that have no meaning slough away. They are cut off with the sword of truth. The new pattern takes hold and we begin to live, and the beauty of truth is revealed and we are able to serve others, our loved ones. But who are our loved ones? Our loved ones are those that love God. Oh I know what it is to have loved ones turn away. They were not ready to serve God first, last and always, and they wanted me to violate the laws and principles of being for their sakes. And they put it up to me, “If you really loved me, you would ignore these laws and principles of God and do what I want you to do.” If I really loved them? If I really loved them, would I do that? I know what it is to have loved ones turn aside. You can't tell me anything about it. But I do not, and never have, loved any human being enough to deny my love for my Lord and King! And when any man or woman, no matter how close he or she may be, denies my King, he ceases to have meaning in my life, regardless, period. I don't care how close, how wonderful according to any standard whatever, I don't care what relative or friend or wife or child, the moment it comes to that point there is no question. My devotion is one-pointed, and those that work with me must have that same one-pointed devotion. For anyone who denies that point to which I am devoted has no meaning to me, absolutely none! No matter what happens, no matter how much they suffer, no matter what happens, in any way, shape or form, it doesn't faze me one iota! They have been offered the privilege of serving the Lord of Love, and anyone who turns that down means nothing to me—and should mean nothing to you; that is my point.

Until you love the Lord of Love with that kind of love you can't know what it means to be centered and let the pattern of truth really shape and mold your life and environment, and provide the means of releasing blessing to your loved ones and others. “Who is my mother, my brethren, my sisters?” That is what the Master asked. And He answered, “He that doeth the will of my Father in heaven.” That is absolute—absolute! "He that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven"; he who loves God and lets God's love have meaning in his life. Love—what a wonderful thing it is! It is that something that makes the body of God eternally new, eternally young, eternally glorious. Love is that something from which the glory of life springs. How can we glorify God on earth? By letting God's glory find expression through us on earth, so that it will appear in places where it has not appeared. We cannot increase God's glory, in the sense of the invisible realms, by giving glory to Him. You cannot add to Him, you cannot detract from Him in the inner sense, actually; but you can let that glory of the Lord appear through your life and shine in your environment and bless others. You can let that glory of the Lord fill the temple and shine round about, as it is put in the Bible.

From whence does that glory spring? From truth. Truth, if you can separate it from love—it is something you can't do—but if you could, it would be such a cold and meaningless thing. The beauty of truth has scintillating meaning and glory because of Love—the love that makes everything worthwhile, the love that gives meaning to life in all the things that are. And we have the privilege, the sacred privilege, of acknowledging and serving the Lord of Love. That is the invitation I bring to you and offer to all who respond to it: the privilege of serving the Lord of Love.

© emissaries of divine light

Whited Sepulchres

Whited  Sepulchres

Uranda   September 13, 1944

One of the most remarkable chapters in the whole Bible dealing with world conditions, with that which is taking place and that which is to come, is the 18th Chapter of Revelation. We have gathered to consider those things that are so wonderful and full of life in the world as it now is. In this world of turmoil with so many disturbing conditions, the only course that can be followed with certainty and surety and any degree of peace and tranquility, is that which is charted according to that which God has revealed, and we always find in the Way that He provides, more joy, happiness, peace and satisfaction of living than in any other way that there is. I shall read: “And after these things I saw ...” You have seen something the beauty of the river, the trees, the loveliness of this place. It is something that you know, that is a reality. You have seen. And so the Revelator is talking about things he saw, and as we look into them we find that, through his vision, we can see many important, fascinating and helpful things. “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”

Before I read further, let us be certain that you understand what the symbolism portrays. You will remember that after the Fall, the process of dispersion is pictured as the tower of Babel. Of course, the tower of Babel as pictured in the Bible, while there may have been an actual structure, is symbolic of the effort of human beings to overthrow their limitations and, through self-activity, achieve a tower of being and stature equal to God. Prior to the Fall only one language had been used, after that many nations developed. The word “Babylon” itself means “confusion.” The tower of Babel referred to confusion of tongues, and Babylon as mentioned in the Bible is an expression of confusion. But it is spoken of as a great city—“Babylon the great.” If we went to London or to New York, or almost any great city—these are the two greatest—we should find them to be cities of confusion, should we not? There is a great deal of confusion. But Babylon here represents the structure that man has made from the standpoint of the whole world—the man made structure of the world, all that human beings have done, not just in one city, nation or continent, but all over the world, their activities in commerce, greed, etc., their desires to achieve, through self-active effort, power and wealth. In other words, we have to recognize that the term Babylon simply means the man-made world of today, all over, everywhere. As we consider this, what do we find?

There are many, many people who find things beautiful and lovely and who are working sincerely in all fields for what they conceive to be a better world, and their actions are certainly to be commended. But when we get on the inside of what we might call big business, of whatever type, and as we behold the things that make the man-made world function, what makes the wheels go around? What do we find? When we get back behind the scenes we find that selfishness and greed and lust and all those things are the controlling factors, although they sometimes have a nice outer coating. If the real basic activities of human beings, from the standpoint of the controlling factors in our own land and in every other land, could be spread out where all the people could see them, I wonder what the reaction would be. Jesus once spoke of whited sepulchres which within are full of dead men’s bones. That is a good description. Man fell, and the world function has fallen. And what do we find here? “And is become the habitation of devils.” What does the term mean? It means all of the hateful thoughts and ideas and desires which man in his selfish self-activity expresses. “… and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” This is the meanness expressed by mind and action—complete disregard of others: selfishness.

“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” That is speaking of the processes of communication, the interchange between nations, for the further building up of what we might call a world empire of commerce whereby many individuals think to gain still greater wealth and power in order to dominate the lives of human beings. We find that structure in the world today. It speaks of the merchants of the earth waxing rich through the abundance of her delicacies. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-from-of-babylon-uranda-may-30-1954.html]

We go back one hundred years or less, and here in this district at least, life was a comparatively simple thing, free of the complexities, the things that human beings think they have to have these days in order to get along. Unless we consider this we cannot understand world conditions, national or international. Suppose you were to try to write out a list of all kinds of electric devices, etc., that have been brought into the market in the last fifty years or so, that are required if you are functioning according to those requirements, that are supposed to make life easy for you. But do these things make life easier, or do they simply complicate and speed it up, constituting, in so many instances, a drain upon one’s nervous energy, so that there is no longer a peaceful, relaxed expression of life?

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” That is the call that is going forth into all the world now, and all of the earnest ones of whatever nation, tongue or creed who are properly turning to God and are responding to that call, are included. They are being called to “come out of her,” that they do not become embroiled, immersed, in these needless things, in these complexities of the unreal life. “For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.” She, referring to Babylon, simply indicates this outer world, the world of commerce and industry and all of the functions that are supposed to give man power and wealth, including political positions.

“How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” How about the time prior to this war? Many people thought that there would not be another war. The world was living deliciously, buying new cars, and everything was on the up and up. Everybody was forgetting God, because they were enjoying all of these outer things to such a degree. But what happened? “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” That relates to the coming of this great world conflict. “... for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” Does that mean that the Lord God deliberately brought about world conditions to make this war, that He is responsible for this war with all its horrors? No, it is never God's will that any should suffer, but the Laws of God are established and He is not going to change them. He provided man with an opportunity for happiness and all the joys of living, but when man disregarded them, what happened? There were conflicts, perverted conditions, and as God intensifies these conditions, there is bound to be an adverse result. From the use of electricity we can have light and warmth—or we can be killed by it. As long as we harmonize with the laws and the principles of electricity, we do not have any trouble, but suppose I were to reach up and cut this wire right in two and start playing around with the bared ends. I would have violated the laws of electricity, and the result would be very painful.

It is the same with God's Laws. They can provide everything that is lovely if one harmonizes with them, but the human tendency is to go and do something that one should not do. That is the way man got into this state in the first place, by doing something that he was told not to do. God does not set up these conditions arbitrarily. He does not tell us not to do the things that would be delightful to do. He simply tells us not to do the things that are going to hurt us. He shows us the right use of the forces which He places within our reach. If a person uses that strong current of electricity wrongly, he is judging himself. The result is brought on by himself. The laws which established the current of electricity made it possible to allow the proper use of it; but these laws were established by the Lord—then these are the laws by which the individual is judged. It is the Lord who provided these currents, opportunities and blessings, and consequently, when they are misused there is a disturbance. God provides the law and the principle in the first place, and He says, use it this way and it will be lovely—use it that way and you will hurt yourself. When an individual takes it upon himself to use it the wrong way, then it may be said that he judges himself. While this point may be comparatively clear in your minds, it is something that the world stumbles upon all the time.

“And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city; for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble. And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.”

Now, I want you to notice the list of merchandise given here, and if you can name one single thing in all the multitude of things that we buy in the earth today that is not included, directly or indirectly, I should like you to name it. It covers the list pretty well. Name one thing, with all of our inventions, our manufactured articles, that does not come, directly or indirectly, within that list. It talks of chariots—we have automobiles, airplanes, and so on. It talks about all of the things that relate to foods, all up and down the line. “... and slaves, and souls of men.” So often men and women sell their souls for a little bit of gain in the world. They let themselves be put in the position of being slaves, prevented from expressing the beauty and the loveliness that is natural to the individual.

You know, once human beings get the shell off, and once they begin to let that which is natural and of themselves come forth, while they have different features and some may be considered more handsome than others, they are all lovely until they start acting in an unlovely manner. Did you ever stop to think about that? Then what really matters is not so much the outer appearance, but it is letting that which you really are come forth, letting the lovely expression of your being shine out in joy and peace and happiness and blessing to others, that which brings delight, that which is fitting, in proper order. What is it that prevents, in so many cases, this manifestation?

We are speaking here of slaves and men and women selling their souls. What is it that brings about this condition? What is hate? It is a feeling of violent animosity because of unlovely acts in both parties, or at least in one; and if one individual hates another individual for being unlovely, then the one who hates is unlovely, too. Did you ever see anything really beautiful and inspiring in hate? How about greed? How about selfishness? No. And yet, from the standpoint of this commerce, what is it that is most appealed to in human beings by those merchants who are building up Babylon? It is jealousy, greed, selfishness, inordinate pride of various kinds.

Have you noticed that practically every piece of advertising, almost without any exception, appeals to some unlovely characteristic or tendency in human beings? It may be dressed up very nicely, and you may question it at first glance, but when you go into it you will find that the primary sales appeal that is used is directed towards these unlovely traits of human character. Now, when that sales appeal is repeated and repeated until the person is so stirred up that he is driven by this force of greed, this get and get and get—is he a slave or not? He has become a slave, and he is selling his soul to get something. And when he gets it, is he happy? And then he swells up in pride and he goes to work to get something else, and he is a slave all over again, and he is selling his soul all over again, forgetting to see the beauties all around him, forgetting to enjoy life. That is what is taking place, is it not? But does that not keep stirring up the unlovely in human beings? Every human being is fine and lovely until he starts doing and saying unlovely things.

In order to be free, we find it perfectly permissible to utilize these things out here in the world, but not to be slaves to them, not to be driven by a desire to get this, that, or the other thing, not driven by greed or selfishness; and so we can stop selling our souls to get these things, and we are no longer slaves. We may be bound about by limitations, but we are free inside. You may say, “You are not telling us anything new,” but perhaps you have caught a new vision of this—and also, I am helping you to see the various principles by which you can help to convey these things to others as the opportunity presents itself, because we are here to learn various ways and means of presenting principles by which human beings can be released out of prison into the sunshine of God’s Love, where peace and joy abound, so that they are no longer slaves.

Right here comes a recognition of what is involved from the standpoint of world activities. We see how these things influence individuals and the world from the standpoint of nations. What started the war? You cannot point to any one individual, or to any two or three, and say, “They were the guilty ones.” They were guilty, perhaps, but they are not the only ones. This does not detract from their guilt; there is nothing to provide any leniency towards the obviously guilty ones. But what were the conditions back of all this? Most people do not go back that far. I will illustrate just this much from the standpoint of Germany. Germany attempted to have a democracy. That democracy, in form at least, existed for about twenty years, roughly speaking. Then it fell. Why did it fall? Because that democracy was refused support by the other nations of the world. Not one single one of the great powers of the world reached out a helping hand. When I say that, I am not condoning Hitler or any of the atrocities that the Nazis have perpetrated, but I am only pointing out that when there is something rotten underneath, it boils out on top; and you cannot tell me that any one man like Hitler was entirely responsible for it, as far as that is concerned. You talk about the Japanese. I have no brief for them. But, right up until the day of Pearl Harbor, who was it that was selling them oil, scrap iron, loading them up with it, shipping it right out of the United States of America over there to Japan? And what did the Japanese use it for? Who was selling it, and for what reason? Because of greed—the desire to get; to get, money. And why did Japan buy it? So that they could use it in order to get, to get, to get. That is what starts wars.

Then there is this business of individual wants and selfish desires. Have you ever seen any quarrels started along that line, any disturbances made manifest, any little private wars? I wonder. Then there are disturbances between states, between all kinds of corporations and organizations—all the way down the line from the war conflict to the little feud that you had last time with your sister, brother, friend. Could there be a world conflict if there was not any of this spirit and attitude in the world? Just suppose human beings were no longer slaves, no longer striving to get things. You may say, “There would not be any ambition.” But how would you have a war? You could not make a quarrel between neighbors, or anywhere, and how could you have a war? I think right there you have as clear a recognition of what world conditions are as you can get. The cause of world conditions is there, and the way of removing those ill conditions. But is there any hope of doing that so long as man is in control as he now is? What is it that can bring a change?

A change will come only to the degree that the individual experiences what it means to live a spiritual life. You have reached a point where you have been greatly freed from these shackles that bind so many people. You are no longer so strongly driven by desires to get this, that and the other thing. Some of you are not completely free yet, but you are coming along nicely. To the degree that you are no longer under that strife, is there anything left in life to make you happy? Do you have to have this strife that is sometimes mistakenly called ambition? Do you still have any ambition, although you may be free of that strife. Why yes. Oh, you do! What is true ambition? It is ambition to serve, to give joy, and you know, sometimes I think we are a little selfish, too, because of a surety the more happiness we give to others, the more we get back. You cannot help but be happy when you make others happy too, and the ambition to serve and to let the Light shine and to experience all those things that are so lovely and so free, provided in such abundance by the Lord, does not leave one in a hopeless state, bored to death. He becomes a free man, free to live instead of being a slave.

What does the 14th verse say? “And the fruits that thy soul lusteth after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.” What happens to all of these things that man has made? When things really get tough—the world catastrophe—and people lose their possessions, then those who are all wrapped up in their things lose themselves, don’t they? In losing the things, they lose themselves. But in regard to those who have something inside, those who are using the things but are not lost in them, when the things are gone they have that real quality, that real something that stands—the true basis of courage, steadfastness, certainty and assurance in the outworking of things. It is they, who are already freed from those things, who are going to be able to stand.

Blessed Ones, talking about world conditions, we can recognize in the general trend of affairs that for about two years after the close of the European war there will be, in all probability, a reasonable upward swing. Things will continue to go along. There will be a lot of trouble, turmoil, dissatisfaction, but according to the present trend, unless there are radical changes, we can expect a fairly prosperous period. It might be three or four years, but right in there about that time there probably will be a drag—there will be a period of deflation, or the bottom dropping out of things; maybe it will be deflation from inflation. That will certainly take things away from a lot of people. The world is heading into a time of still greater trouble. During this period of world trouble, some people will turn to God, but not all by any means. Some people still have the idea that they can go to church on Sunday and say, “I believe thus and so,” and then go on during the week and never give spiritual things a thought; cheat their brother man, then go to church another Sunday, and that is all that is necessary. They never think of coming to know God and living with Him all of the while. Until people begin to live with and know God, there is going to be trouble. When things get tough, people turn to God; when the way gets easy, they forget Him. As long as that keeps up things are going to get tougher and tougher and worse and worse, until people remember to remember God always.

“The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing. And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city. And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness; for in one hour is she made desolate.”

In the 20th verse those who walk in the Way of God are told what attitude to take in such a time. While there are many points of interest that we might talk about in relation to world conditions, you will find that what you really need is given here. As these difficulties arise and world troubles appear and losses occur, and all the rest of it, what is to be your attitude? “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.”

“And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” In other words, the world structure produced through mass confusion will be thrown down sooner or later, and shall be thrown down with violence and shall be found no more at all. It is going to come to an end, and something wonderful and beautiful is going to take its place.

“And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” And all nations are deceived now, believe me. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2015/11/excerpts-from-lightning-gracevan-duzen.html] “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”

This great city Babylon, then, is the cause of all this slaying on the face of the earth—and that means every man, woman and child who dies in such a conflict as the world now faces. Suppose we were to take away the commerce in bullets and weapons of war, and remove the causes of war in the hearts and minds of men. There would not be any war. And here is the world condition as it is coming, and as it shall work out.

Those who have it in their hearts to function in an attitude of destruction will keep on until they have destroyed themselves. They may destroy a lot of comparatively innocent people too, but evil is destroying itself from the face of the earth, and those who remain and carry through will be those who have already let themselves be set free from slavery, from the merchandise of Babylon. Instead of trying to figure out just what shape world events will take, and how and why and so on, troubling your minds about a lot of things, and trying to unravel the mystery of the unreal, I think you will find here in this Chapter all you really need to know about world events. Do you see anything in relation to world events that has been omitted here? We cannot tell what human beings are going to do. But we know what God is going to do, and as long as we work with Him and remember to keep free so that we are not slaves to the commerce of the world babel of confusion—whether it falls, or rises, or stands for a bit before it topples—we know that all things will work out in the right way.

What are we doing? We are seeking to render service to others, that they may find what it means to be free from slavery, from bondage to all these things, because our own beloved country is one of the most idolatrous of all nations. There are more metals here to make idols out of—new kinds of metal. All down the line we worship the things that we want to get, and we make idols of those possessions. They will pass away some day. If we are wrapped up in them, we shall pass away with them. If we are not, we shall have a chance to carry through.

Our Beloved Master, by reason of Thy all-enfolding Love the Way is prepared, and all things are working together in perfection. We thank Thee that the movement of world currents and world events is of value to us only as it opens opportunities for us to serve Thee and our brother man, and, also, that it gives us the privilege of letting our Light shine, that we may do all that is possible to bring courage, peace, hope, truth and understanding, and the healing and soothing touch of Thy Presence and Thy Love, to all who will receive. In the Christ. Au-men.

© emissaries of divine light